Wednesday, August 3, 2011

‘In order to lengthen a muscle in the long term, we must hold a position for a minimum of 30 seconds. In each bundle of muscles cells is a sensory nerve called the muscle spindle sensory nerve. Its function is to sense when a muscle is being stretched beyond its capacity. When the muscle spindle nerve senses danger, it sends a message to the spinal cord, which in turn sends a message through the muscle’s motor neurons to protect the muscle by shortening it. After 30 seconds, the muscle spindle nerve habituates to its new length and no longer sends a message of distress to the spinal cord. This allows the muscle to maintain its length.’ - Charlotte Bell

First of all, the human body never ceases to amaze me. It is so intelligent, resilient and awe inspiring. What goes on beneath our skin is more complex than any thought or action we may consciously partake in during the day. Second, like all things in yoga, this is such a perfect metaphor. Stay with the sensation. It may not be pleasant but if you stay with it, there will come resolution and acceptance. Pema Chodron often discusses this. When we have feelings that society has deemed as "bad" we often run away from them. We numb out (with drugs/alcohol), we distract ourselves with entertainment and we run away from our truth. By doing so we cause a myriad of issues and not only will the underlying issue not go away, but it will exponentially grow. As my mother said to me this morning "depression is simply blocked emotion" and I think she is absolutely correct.

So many of our ills are because we don't stay with the pain, ride the wave and breathe. I promise you it will pass. Either physical or emotional.

There is one necessary element in this that I have not yet mentioned which is knowing your limits. Now this is different from absolute statements about who you are/what kind of person you have convinced yourself you are... it is about knowing your edge. We talk about your edge in yoga a lot... but knowing your internal, emotional, edge is equally important. This idea of staying with the pain or difficult emotion is different from purposefully inflicting pain on yourself or wallowing in negative thoughts or self pity. As in all things, allow your inner knowledge to guide you in this matter.

At my YTT at Kripalu I betrayed my inner voice and allowed ego to take over at the very begging of the program. I took a pose too deep and re-injured my lower back which ultimately meant I had to ease up for the first half of the month-long program. Knowing your limits is hard and sometimes we will fail... but the lesson I learned was more valuable. There is no need to reside in pain for some higher goal or purpose.

In closing, don't run away from discomfort but know the distinct difference between making friends with your edge and crossing that line into pain and self denial. It is a tricky dance, but one that will help you grow and expand your practice and your mind.

Friday, July 8, 2011

My father (Chris) and his partner Gary have generously offered their salon to me and this finally gives me a space to start my own weekly classes! Yay! It will be mixed levels (all are welcome) and a laid back, easy atmosphere. Just what we all need after a hot summer day, some meditation and moderate asanas to wind down :)

Email me with any questions or to reserve a spot! Each class can only take about 6 students so it is a good idea to call ahead, but drop ins are great too!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

One of the handiest and easiest tools that Yoga can provide for our daily lives is BRFWA (pronounced "briff-wah") which stands for Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, Allow. My fellow Kripalu graduates and yogis of all stripes can attest to the amazing results of following these simple steps.
Take any situation which may create anxiety, fear, anger, frustration, liberally apply BRFWA and instantly these yucky emotions clear and your true emotions come to the foreground.
For example, I am not too fond of elevators. The tight quarters and jerky movements make me terribly nervous. If I breathe my heart rate slows, I relax and the knots in my tummy subside, I feel the physical sensations which get me out of my head, I watch myself from that compassionate witness seat and allow the true emotions (which are that I am not in control of the situation) to come to the fore. At the end of the day my fear of elevators is really a larger fear of being out of the drivers seat. My physical wellbeing in that moment relies on engineers, repair people and operators who I have never met and for me that is nerve wracking. However, life is about accepting those things that we cannot control, from the mundane elevator rides to the horrible acts of nature (like the recent tornadoes) to the wondrous mishaps that make our days worthwhile (like seeing baby geese waddle around their mama). It is a package deal and why not use BRFWA to get through the parts we are not so fond of...
And that is the power of BRFWA. Go try it! Or just take the stairs ;)

Friday, March 25, 2011

Welcome to Curly Yogi, a blog where I (Caroline) will post yoga related info and my teaching schedule/availability. Keep checking back for more or subscribe to be automatically updated!
With love and gratitude,
The Curly Yogi

Subscribe To

Follow by Email

About Me

I am a Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher and available for private instruction, group classes, consultations or a good debate about yogic philosophy! I love to learn and find the people around me, of all ages and backgrounds, to be my best gurus.
With this in mind, I am not the following: a doctor, scientist, retailer, nutritionist... I think you get the picture. Everything in this blog consists of my personal inquiries, professional experiences, feelings and thoughts. My research is purely whatever I can get my hands on. I love constructive criticism so please send some my way, or any other thoughts you have about what is said here.
I truly believe Yoga and a Yogic Lifestyle are the best ways to access all the beauty and richness life has to offer!
Be well and love the moment.
Namaste